Howard Branden is a former lieutenant of SWAT, who lead his teams as though he were a mob enforcer. He was on the take from nearly every major crime syndicate in Gotham City, and preyed on the weak by using intimidation to extort money from them.

He was Gillian Loeb's protégé and second-in-command, but after his death, he was forced to use his own plans to defend his interests.